Obama’s First State Dinner – Poser

President Obama and his wife Michele had their first State Dinner for India’s Prime Minister. You can read about all the details and opulence in this CBS report.

But what is wrong with this picture?

I heard a rumor that the dress Michele Obama wore cost $47,000 dollars. Now let me state, right here and now, that I haven’t been able to verify this cost and the cost of the overall party. I haven’t found an article showing what the expenses might have been.

I read an article on the internet from the Wall Street Journal but the part of the interview with Naeem Khan (the dress designer) only mentioned that his dresses usually go for about 5 to 15 thousand dollars. The statement about the dress being priceless didn’t really satisfy my curiosity because it seemed to imply that the dress was a gift! I find it incredibly hard to believe this designer paid 40 people a salary without any compensation to himself! Or for the employees?

(I went to the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) website to see if I could find out the facts. I found the government’s site a little daunting! I will keep trying to learn.)

I have been thinking about this all week. Trying to figure out the hypocrisy. I know parties are nice and some are necessary for Capitol Hill. But do these parties really have to cost so much? Does the White House really have to have a tent with chandeliers?

I am sure that the total amount spent on the State Dinner could have gone to better causes. You know like food for the homeless, getting a few folks housing, perhaps a little medical help for a few folks. Don’t you think the excessive money, spent on this shin dig, could have been better spent?

Like this:

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I know a lot of expensive shmoozing goes on no matter who is in office but I also think it is terrible to spend this kind of money on partying when there is a single hungry or homeless person or as long as there are people who need health care they can’t afford.

I totally agree! Our tax payer dollars could have been better spent on people who could use it more. I don’t begrudge them a State Dinner but perhaps one with a little less cost. Maybe they could have kept it indoors. 🙂

First it was the Dinner in NYC we all paid for. Now its a dress. What will be next? Perhaps a Fur Coat for the Mrs.?
We haven’t seen anything yet. I’m surprised the Mother-in-Law hasn’t gone on a Shopping Spree yet…………..or has she?

Thanks for the reply. Who knows, shopping doesn’t seem to be a problem when you have the mint behind you and they can just make more and more. I guess that is the admin’s way of boosting the economy. 😦

What? You think the politicians….all of them….are squandering OUR hard earned dollars? You betcha! Do they care? Not a whit! They think THEY know what is necessary for us since we are clueless sheeple! We need to do what Pelosi said SHE was going to do…drain the swamp! We, the people need to work hard to make sure this hypocrisy and corruption ends!

Pelosi is the Overseer of The Swamp. She ain’t go’in to change anything.
She still didn’t get rid of Charles Rangel, the Asshole Congressman of New York. The Ass that is the Chairman of the Finance Committee, that makes the Tax Laws, yet he hasn’t paid Millions in Taxes over the Years. BUT Pelosi keeps This Criminal on board!!
Politics as Usual my friends, Politics as Usual!! And Obama is no different. He is also Part of The Same Old Politiocal Machine. Very Hard to Change The Washington Political Machine, which Obama is finding out. And he is fitting in with the same old pretty good.
His platform said that he would approve USA Citizens buying Medical Drugs from Canada and Mexico. well, he just Flipped on the Side of the US Pharmaceutical Companies, and he passed a law denying USA Citizens from buying drugs from other Countries. In return, the Companies are giving back or whateber they are doing, $$300 Million Dollars. Money Talks and Bullshit walks. Obama is Full Of Shit, and hopefully The Sheeple will wake up from their Comas and See Obama for what he really is. Just Another Bulldshit Politician. Many of us knew this before he was elected, but many fell for his Golden Tongue, Which btw is Fools Gold!!

First, you yourself say you are unable to confirm the costs… and if and when you are able to confirm the cost of the party, I’d like to see some sort of confirmation that WE The Taxpayers paid for her dress.

Second… I agree that the parties shouldn’t cost so much. Even the great equalizer, Security, shouldn’t run so bloody high.

Third… Can I see the numbers on GW’s parties, vacations, etc? I know that out of the 2,920 days in office, Mr. Bush spent approximately 1000 of those days on vacation (which we as taxpayers DID pay for), becoming the most ‘vacationing’ president in history (compare to his father who took 543 vacation days, Ronald Reagan 335 days, Clinton 152 days, Carter 79 days… btw, the average American gets an average of 13 days a year according to AskYahoo http://ask.yahoo.com/20031001.html).

Fourth, those party numbers for Obama (and the former presidents) are not as accurate as people think. As an example, let’s take the Obama and GW inaugurations and compare them. Here is one thing that made all the papers:

Looks pretty bad doesn’t it? And if those numbers were the truth, it would be. The actual figures look more like this:

A) It cost approximately 157 Million for the 2005 inauguration (GW Bush)
B) It cost approximately 150 Million for the 2009 inauguration (BH Obama)

So what is lacking in the numbers? Simple. Security costs were added to Obama’s totals in the first total but not added to GW’s. In the second set, security costs were added to both. And the approximate total each candidate paid for themselves (via fundraising and private funds)?

Obama is still the elected Official of the Sheeple. Time will tell of what the non Sheeples are saying to be true.
Obama is as Full of Shit as the POTUS’s before him, and all the other Politicians.
Nothing has changed.
On a side note, I told this guy I know that Ithought Clinton was a Lesbian, and if she ever came out of the Closet, she’d give a big boost to the Gay Rights Movement. He kinda got upset and asked me how I know this. I said it’s just a feeling I have based on what I have seen over the years.To me, it is quite obvious that Clinton is as gay as they come, her pants suits, Clinton always fucking around, etc. It appears to me that they have an agreement between the two of them regarding her sexuality. Having a kid does not mean you are not Gay. I think she’s Gay, and it’s no big Whoop. So come out of the closet Hillary. It’s ok!!

Pant Suits and a cheating husband lead you to believe she’s gay? OMG… I think politics is the least of your issues… lol… Perhaps after your stay at Bellvue is over and your meds are regulated you’ll have something to say that makes sense… roflmao!!!

That’s my opinion. It is obviously not 100%.
I am sure you have met people or have seen people in the media and had a feeling they were Gay even though they didn’t tell you so, and it was True. Clinton is most likely Gay. See, I changed my inflection.
The Guy who won AI, Aiken or whatever the fuck that guy’s name is. He kept denying he was Gay, But MANY People thought he was Gay, including most of the Media. He walked out of the Closet, and people like you finally had Evidence. Some of us don’t need Evidence such as that to formulate an Opinion. Being Gay is no Big Deal, but sometimes you are just able to tell. And if you’re wrong, you’re wrong, because it’s no big deal to be gay.
Btw, Kwansa is one of the Biggest Bullshit Holidays I have heard of in a while. Someone who just made up a Holiday. What a Croc!!
Sink your Teeth into that one while your chewing on Clinton being most likely Gay!!
Pants Suits and Not having sex with your husband makes you a Candidate for being Gay, btw. In addition to other attributes, Hank, I mean Hillary Clinton has.

Also, Bellevue ain’t that bad!! And you may want to check a dictionary re the spelling.

Whoa! That is some pent up anger you got going on there! Not my problem, not my concern… and certainly not my point when I posted my ON TOPIC opinion and facts.

I just love how when confronted with facts that don’t match someone’s opinion, especially with politics and/or religion, that it makes some people resort to swearing, gossip, low blows, attacks on things like spelling, etc. Do you really think being petty is a reasonable argument in reference to the topic? Whether Hillary is or isn’t gay has no bearing on this topic. Clay Aiken has no bearing on this topic. My misspelling of Bellevue has no bearing on this topic. Pant suits and sex with whomever have no bearing on this topic. Kwanza (you may want to get YOUR dictionary out… lol) has no bearing on this topic.

You didn’t like the FACTS presented and because you had no reasonable argument, so you lowered yourself to innuendos about Hillary Clinton. Nice argument. Your friends and family must be so proud.

“I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.” George Bernard Shaw

You’re the one who started the name calling, not I. Look back at your original post to refresh your Alzheimerlike memory. In fact, I never called you a name as you did us. I comment about polticians and you defend them as if the comments were insults to and directed at you. You may want to make an appointment with your Shrink, as it may have been a while since you last saw him lol!
You seem to be an Obamabot, which would explain your Defensive posts. And no, that is not name calling, but Obamabot is use as an Adjective LOL!
Btw, I couldn’t give a crap about kwansa, and thererfore how it is spelled, as that hoilday was just made up by some poltocally correct fool, and the media speaks about kwansa more than any other holiday, because they don’t want to get any racial ignorance letters from sharpton and the gang. I have heard kwansa 10 day on tv, it’s ridiculous. At least it took the Boinker Woods off the Front Page.
And regarding your initial post, it was filled with so much mumbo jumbo regarding stats, that you are the one that really got off topic. Merry Christmas, Belated.

I’ve been a little sidetracked with a very ill Husband and really haven’t paid much attention to the blog, of late.

I didn’t realize that my little poser would get two posters at such odds, with each other. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about the administration. Some folks are supporters and some are not. It is not necessary to incite each other on this blog.

I don’t like the over indulgence of the government as a whole! (Pay raises in these times, that another poser though.)

The point to my original question was that I could not find any real costs in my research and, quite frankly since I posted the question, I haven’t had a minutes time to make my inquiries to the http://www.state.gov/m/a/ips/ FOIA. Once the request is made, it is my understanding that it will take 15 days for a reply. When and if I get a reply. I will post on this topic again.

I’m going to keep it nice (my apologies to transparnc for the Bellevue and meds crack… I was just laughing so hard at the argument to the actual facts that my better judgement went out the window), and I am going to go a bit off topic… lol…
Here is some info on Kwanza (aka Kwanzaa). Education never goes out of style.

Kwanzaa, which will be celebrated for the 44th time in 2009, was established by Dr. Maulana Karenga. The seven-day festival (December 26 – January 1) is secular, not religious, and aims to strengthen African cultural identity and community values while providing a spiritual alternative to the commercialism of Christmas.

Decorating the home with the colors of the African flag (bendera): black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle.
Laying out a straw or cloth mat (mkeka) in a place of honor in the home. Upon it are placed: a candleholder (kinara) with one central black candle, three red candles to its left and three green candles to its right; crops (mazao), including bananas, plantains, mangoes or whatever the family favorites are; ears of corn (muhindi), representing the children; and a unity cup filled with water, grape juice or wine (kikombe cha umoja). Other objects of African heritage may be added.
Lighting the kinara: the black candle on the first night, the black one plus the leftmost red one on the next night, those two plus the rightmost green one on the next, etc. Each candle represents one of Kwanzaa’s seven principles (nguzo saba).
Pouring libations from the unity cup in the corners of the room to honor the African ancestors, then passing it around for all to sip.
Holding a communal feast (karamu) on December 31, with food and an educational program.
Exchanging enriching and culturally significant gifts (zawadi).
The traditional Kwanzaa greeting is “Habari gani?” The answer is the principle for that day: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith).

@grouchow.
I hope your husband is feeling better.
@MetzyMom
Sorry about pointing out your misspeling of Bellevue.
It is a Good Hospital though 🙂
As for the kwanzaa issue, you can head over to my Blog to see how I really feel 🙂

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